. >> reporter: john quinn is one of those people who will be paying close attention to those first 45 minutes of the debate. he is about to lose his apartment after being unemployed for four months. >> i'm a college graduate. i had a steady career in telecom for over 12 years. i continuelook for work seven days a week actually. it is the hardest unpaid job i have ever had. >> reporter: he wants to know what president obama and mitt romney will do for people like him. >> there's a lot of people who have been out of work for a long time who are not satisfied with the status quo with either party the way it is working. >> reporter: the final segments of the debate will focus on healthcare. >> i want to repeal obamacare and replace it with something to get costs under control. >> reporter: and the role of government. >> reporter: tonight will mark the first of three debates between the two presidential hopefuls this month. as for the two vice- presidential candidates, they will square off in their own debate, michelle, next week. >> all right. so what kind of impact can these debates have